The present invention relates to a dose dispensing pump, and in particular to a finger operated dose dispensing pump, which can serve to dispense metered amounts of two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes, simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously.
There is often a need to dispense metered amounts of two or more materials such as liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes, simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously. This need often arises because the two or more materials which need to be dispensed, must be kept physically separated until about the actual time of dispensing. It is sometimes the case that if the two or more materials, which can be liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes, were allowed to mix prior to dispensing, that they would chemically or physically interact so as to become inert or ineffective for the intended purpose. However, if the two or more materials are dispensed simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously, and caused to physically mix during dispensing or shortly thereafter, that they will then interact for an intended purpose.
Finally, it is also often necessary for the two or more materials to be dispensed in metered amounts, for example, in specific weight ratios to each other because this may be needed in order to achieve the desired physical or chemical interaction between the two materials.
As noted above, it is often also necessary that said two or more materials be mixed upon dispensing, or that they be dispensed in close physical proximity to each other so that they can be mixed together shortly after being dispersed. For example, it may be necessary for a particular glue and its xe2x80x9ccuringxe2x80x9d agent to be stored in separate physical containers, and yet to be mixed together in metered amounts upon dispensing. It may also be necessary for two or more materials in a tooth cleansing composition to be stored in separate physical containers, and then to be mixed together upon dispensing and use. Also in cosmetic fields, such as hair coloring, an oxidative hair coloring dye must often be kept physically separate from its xe2x80x9cdeveloperxe2x80x9d, which can contain a peroxide, and yet these two materials may also be required to be dispensed in metered amounts, simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously with mixing or with mixing shortly after the dispensing. If these dispensing conditions are not met the oxidative hair dye and its developer may lose their potency or may not function properly.
The present invention relates to dose dispensing pumps which can supply metered, simultaneous or near simultaneous dispensing of two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes, wherein such dispensing can occur from separate exit ports or nozzles, or from the same exit port or nozzle. In the former case the two or more materials can be mixed shortly after they have been dispensed. In the latter case, the two or more materials can be mixed at the same time that they are being dispensed. The present invention provides efficient dose dispensing pumps which are economical and which have few parts, and which can dispense two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes. The dose dispensing pumps of the present invention can keep said two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes physically separate until the time of dispensing.
Patents and publications which relate to the present field of invention are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,824 discloses a dosing pump for liquids which has a cylindrical chamber for receiving the liquid to be dispensed, a piston located in the chamber slidable between a rest and a dispensing position. A valve near the inlet of the cylindrical chamber closes the chamber to block incoming liquid flow when the pump is moved to the dispensing position and opens for drawing liquid into the chamber as the piston returns to the rest position. A valve near the outlet of the pump allows liquid flow to the outlet during the dispensing stroke and blocks the outlet during the return stroke. The pump is formed of one or more compatible plastic materials which are recyclable and compatible so that the entire pump may be recycled as a unit without disassembly and sorting of parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,057 discloses an apparatus is for an improved manually actuated pump for dispensing a liquid within a container comprising a pump body having an internal pump cylinder secured to the container. A piston is slidably disposed within the internal pump cylinder of the pump body with a pump stem having a stem end extending external the pump body. The stem end supports an actuator having a nozzle communicating with an internal stem passage of the pump stem for discharging the liquid from the container through the nozzle. A lock comprises a projection extending radially outward from the pump stem and an overhang extending radially inwardly relative to the internal pump cylinder of the pump body for preventing movement of the actuator in either an extended position or a retracted position upon rotation of the pump stem.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,268 discloses an improved fluid spray pump for spraying a fluid from a fluid container through a terminal orifice comprising a housing having an internal cylinder with a first and a second end. A collar with an internal collar aperture is mounted adjacent the first end of the housing internal cylinder. A pump barrel is slidably received in the internal collar aperture and includes a barrel internal bore communicating with a terminal orifice in the pump barrel. A piston comprising a piston stem is received in the barrel internal bore of the piston barrel and with a piston head received within the housing internal cylinder. Channels are provided along the piston stem for communicating the housing internal cylinder with the terminal orifice. An annular seal is slidably mounted relative to the piston and the pump barrel for sealing the channel means when the annular seal abuts a shoulder formed between the piston head and the piston stem. The annular seal enables fluid flow through the channel means to the terminal orifice when the annular seal is displaced from the piston shoulder by movement of the pump barrel toward the second end of the housing internal cylinder.
EP 0 953 381 A2 discloses a fluid pump dispenser which has a pump body including a pump cylinder defining a pump chamber with a valve controlled product inlet passage leading to the chamber. A manually reciprocable pump plunger having a hollow stem defining a discharge passage leading from the chamber is slidably mounted in the body. A pump piston is mounted on the inner end of the stem for relative sliding movement. A plunger return spring biases the plunger into a raised position. The piston is limited for relative sliding movement between discharge open and closed positions, the piston having an annular projection defining a discharge valve seated in an annular groove of a plug element fixedly mounted to the stem at its inner end. A lost-motion effect is created between the piston and the stem which closes the discharge valve during the pressure stroke and opens the discharge during the intake stroke. The plunger element is capable of being locked in up and down positions, an outer surface of the plug element sealing the inlet passage closed in the plunger lock-down position.
The present invention relates to a dosing pump for dispensing liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes, and adapted to be connected to two or more containers for said two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes. The dosing pump may comprise an operating button, and two or more liquid, gel, slurry or paste dispensing assemblies. Each such assembly may comprise an actuator which is in mechanical contact with said operating button, so that each actuator, on each dispensing assembly, is simultaneously or nearly simultaneously actuated by movement of said operating button. Each liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste dispensing assembly further comprises:
a) a dispensing element;
b) a cylindrical chamber in flow communication with the dispensing element;
c) a piston or bellows sealably and slidably mounted with said cylindrical chamber;
xe2x80x83having a stroke for motion between a rest position and a dispensing position at corresponding opposite rest and dispensing ends of the stroke;
d) an inlet valve means in fluid connection with an outlet valve means, wherein said inlet valve means is in fluid connection with a container containing liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes; and
wherein said outlet valve means is in fluid connection with said dispensing element; and said inlet valve means and said outlet valve means are disposed in one or more plates a situated between each said container and its corresponding liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes dispensing assembly.
When the piston or bellows is being urged in the direction of the rest position, said inlet valve means is in flow communication with said dip tube and said cylindrical chamber, but is cut off from flow communication with said outlet valve means. Consequently, liquid, gel, slurry or paste is drawn by suction from the container through the dip tube and into said cylindrical chamber.
When the piston or bellows is being urged in the direction of the dispensing position, said inlet valve means is in flow communication with said cylindrical chamber and said outlet valve means, but is cut off from flow communication with the dip tube in the container. Consequently, liquid, gel, slurry or paste is forced by compression or mechanical force through the outlet means and the dispensing element to the consumer.
As used herein xe2x80x9cnearly simultaneouslyxe2x80x9d means within a very short time such as within about 0.01 to about 2 seconds of each other, or about 0.5 to about 1 second of each other. As used herein liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes also includes other flowable materials. The term xe2x80x9cflow communicationxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cfluid communicationxe2x80x9d is used in two ways in the present specification. In one way it is used to describe the pathway of the liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste within the embodiment of the pump. In an another way it is used to mean that the valve means actually provides for an open pathway for the flow of the liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste.
The present invention relates to a dosing pump for dispensing two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes, and adapted to be connected to two or more containers for said two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes. The dosing pump may comprise an operating button, and two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes dispensing assemblies. Each such assembly may be in mechanical contact with an actuator which is in turn in mechanical contact with said operating button, so that said actuator, which is in mechanical contact with each dispensing assembly, is simultaneously or nearly simultaneously actuated by movement of said operating button. Each liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste dispensing assembly further comprises:
a) a dispensing element;
b) a cylindrical chamber in flow communication with the dispensing element;
c) a piston or bellows sealably and slidably mounted with said cylindrical chamber;
xe2x80x83having a stroke for motion between a rest position and a dispensing position at corresponding opposite rest and dispensing ends of the stroke;
d) an inlet valve means in fluid connection with an outlet valve means, wherein said inlet valve means is in fluid connection with a container containing liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes; and
d) wherein said outlet valve means is in fluid connection with said dispensing element; and
said inlet valve means and said outlet valve means are disposed in one or more plates or gaskets situated between each said container and its corresponding liquid or paste dispensing assembly.
When the piston or bellows is being urged in the direction of the rest position, said inlet valve means is in flow communication with said dip tube and said cylindrical chamber, but is cut off from flow communication with said outlet valve means. Consequently, liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste is drawn by suction from the container through the dip tube and into said cylindrical chamber.
When the piston or bellows is being urged in the direction of the dispensing position, said inlet valve means is in flow communication with said cylindrical chamber and said outlet valve means, but is cut off from flow communication with the dip tube in the container. Consequently, liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste is forced by compression or mechanical force through the outlet means and the dispensing element to the consumer.
The present invention also relates to a method for simultaneously or nearly simultaneously dispensing two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes through the use of a dosing pump of the invention.
The present invention also relates to a single bottle or container which is divided into two or more compartments by walls, membranes and the like. Each compartment may be accessed by a dip tube of the pumping device of the invention as described herein.
The present invention also relates to a dose dispensing pump which is used in conjunction with two or more containers each of which is a xe2x80x9cbag-in-a-bottlexe2x80x9d as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,238,201 B1 and 6,083,450, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The present invention also relates to a dose dispensing pump which is used in conjunction with a container divided into two or more compartments by walls or membranes and the like wherein each such compartment has a xe2x80x9cbag-in-a-bottlexe2x80x9d construction as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,238,201 B1 and 6,083,450.
The present invention also relates to making the area within the pump and within the containers or bottles moisture-resistant, and/or air-tight and or light-resistant so as to protect the properties of the flowable materials that are to be dispensed. The use of seals, dark plastic and anti-corrosive materials, etc in order to accomplish these ends would be within the skill of one in the art in the context of the dispensing pump of the invention as described herein.
The invention also relates to making the area within the containers or bottles, or within the compartments of the containers or bottles moisture-resistant and/or airtight and/or light resistant so as to protect the properties of the flowable materials therein, through the use of xe2x80x9cbag-in-the bottlexe2x80x9d construction for each bottle, or for each compartment of each container or bottle, or for each compartment of each bottle, where such xe2x80x9cbag-in-the bottlexe2x80x9d construction is as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,238,201 B1 and 6,083,450.
Because a dispensing pump of the invention is adapted to be connected to two or more containers containing liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes, said liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes may be kept out of physical contact with each other until after they have been dispensed from the dispensing element. According to an embodiment of the invention, the dispensing element may be constructed so as to present an individual outlet for each said dispensing pump. In such a case, liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes from the various containers may be mixed by the consumer after dispensing.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the dispensing elements in flow communication with each corresponding container, may merge the outgoing product streams so as to present one individual outlet alone for all said dispensing pumps. In such a case, liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes from each corresponding container may be mixed just before, or just as they are exiting from the dosing pump of the invention.
An advantage of a dosing pump of the invention, is that it can dispense, simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously, equal amounts of different materials which are stored in different containers affixed or attached to the dosing pump. Alternatively, a dosing pump of the invention can dispense, simultaneously or nearly simultaneously, unequal amounts of different materials which are being stored in different containers which are affixed or attached to a dosing pump of the invention. This may be accomplished for example, by varying the volumes of each cylindrical chamber and/or varying the size of each piston or bellows or in other manners that are conventional in the art.
Dosing pumps of the invention may be fabricated from hard or flexible plastics, or metals which are known in the art. Parts for dosing pumps of the invention may be fabricated by metal casting in the case of metals. Injection molding, for example, may be used as a technique for fabricating plastic parts of dosing pumps of the invention. Dosing pumps of the invention are then assembled in a manner which is conventional to the art or which is analogous to those types of assembly which are conventional to the art.
A piston may be sealingly and slidably mounted in a cylindrical chamber of the liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes assembly of a dosing pump of the invention with a suitable material such as a hard rubber or an elastomer. The piston can have a flange, sleeve or other equivalent device so as to cause a seal to form between the piston wall and the inner wall of the cylindrical piston chamber.
An outlet valve means may be designed to be in flow communication with the inlet valve means, while the piston is being urged to the dispensing position; and the outlet valve means may be cut off from flow communication with the inlet valve means while the piston is being urged to the rest position, by having the outlet valve means and the inlet valve means constructed as sealing flaps, duckbill valves, trampoline valves or other equivalent structures.
The inlet valve means may be designed to be in flow communication with the dip tube in the container, and the cylindrical chamber, while the piston is being urged to the rest position. The outlet valve means may be designed to be in flow communication with the dispensing element and the cylindrical chamber, and cut off flow communication with the inlet valve means, while the piston is being urged to the dispensing position by having the inlet valve means constructed as sealing flaps, duckbill valves, trampoline valves or other equivalent structures.
A dosing pump for dispensing two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes and adapted to be connected to two or more containers for said two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes, may comprise an operating button, and two or more liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste dispensing assemblies, each liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste dispensing assembly being in mechanical contact with an actuator, which in turn is in mechanical contact with an operating button and is simultaneously or nearly simultaneously actuated by movement of said operating button. Each liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste dispensing assembly may further comprise:
a) a dispensing element;
b) a cylindrical chamber in flow communication with the dispensing element;
c) a piston or bellows sealingly and slidably mounted within said cylindrical chamber;
xe2x80x83having a stroke for motion between a rest position and a dispensing position at corresponding opposite rest and dispensing ends of the stroke;
d) an inlet valve means in fluid connection with an outlet valve means, wherein said inlet valve means is in fluid connection with a container; and
wherein said outlet valve means is in fluid connection with said dispensing element; wherein said plates may be designated upper, middle, or lower plates, the upper plate being furthest away from the containers, the middle plate being closer to the containers and the lower plate being the closest to the containers and
wherein said inlet valve means and said outlet valve means may be disposed in one or more plates situated between said corresponding container and said cylindrical chamber; and
wherein said inlet valve means may be a trampoline valve situated between said container and said piston or bellow; and
wherein said trampoline valve is in open position when said piston or bellows is urged in the direction of the rest position, and which is in closed position when said piston or bellows is urged in the direction of the dispensing position; and
wherein said outlet valve means forms a part of an upper plate, and comprises a vent which is in open position when said piston or bellows is urged in the direction of the dispensing position, and which is in closed position when said piston or bellows is urged in the direction of the rest position;
wherein said inlet valve means is in open position and said outlet valve means is in closed position when said piston or bellows is urged in the direction of the rest position, thereby providing fluid communication between said inlet valve means, said cylindrical chamber and said container; thereby drawing by vacuum pressure liquid, gel, slurry and/or paste from said corresponding container to said corresponding cylindrical chamber; and
wherein said inlet valve means is in closed position and said outlet valve means is in open position when said piston or bellows is urged in the direction of the dispensing position, thereby providing fluid communication between said cylindrical chamber, said outlet valve means and said dispensing element; thereby dispensing liquid or paste from said dispensing element by mechanical or compressive force; and
wherein two or more containers each comprises:
a) a rigid outer layer having a vent therein;
b) a thin inner layer adjacent to but not adhesively bonded to said outer layer,
wherein said inner layer forms a hermetic seal between said outer layer and said dosing pump; and
wherein said inner layer contains said product, and separates from said outer layer when said product is suctioned from said two or more containers, said inner layer being collapsed and/or drawn toward said dosing pump.
It will be understood that the valve members in the dosing pump of the present invention may be disposed in or embedded in one or more plates. It will also be understood that the elastomeric valve members may be disposed in or embedded in a hard plastic plate.
The present invention also relates to a dose dispensing pump wherein said inlet valve means may be a trampoline valve and said outlet valve means may be a duckbilled valve. An amount of silicone oil may be applied to said trampoline valve, in order, for example, to allow for easier priming of the pump.
The present invention also relates to a dose dispensing pump wherein the valving is formed by bi-injection, co-injection or multi-injection.
The present invention also relates to a dose dispensing pump which comprises a valve arrangement, with a solid piston or bellows sealingly and slidably mounted within a cylindrical chamber further with a dispensing element, and wherein said cylindrical chamber is in fluid communication with said trampoline valve, and wherein said valve arrangement has a stroke for motion between a rest position and a dispensing position at corresponding opposite rest and dispensing ends of the stroke; and wherein said valve arrangement is for transporting two or more liquids, gels, slurries and/or pastes; and wherein at no point during or between said rest and dispensing positions does said two or more liquids, gels, slurries, and/or pastes travel through said solid piston or bellows.
Construction of dosing pumps of the invention so that the inlet valve means and the outlet valve means are disposed or embedded in plates situated between the two or more cylindrical chambers and the dip tube and corresponding container enables the dosing pumps of the invention to be made with relatively few parts and thus allows the dosing pumps of the present invention to be economical and less subject to breakdown. As will be described below, in one embodiment of the invention, there is present a top plate, a gasket, and a bottom plate which are mechanically and/or adhesively connected. The inlet valve means and the outlet valve means can be flexible flaps from the gasket, which can be rubber, or elastomer coming in contact with the top plate and the bottom plate or coming in contact with ridges extending from the top or bottom plate. It will be appreciated that there are other configurations which can consist of more than three plates and/or gaskets which can make up the inlet valve means and the outlet valve means in accordance with the scope of the present invention.
The elastomer can have a durometer in the range, for example, of about 20 to about 60. The elastomer can be selected, for example, from Santoprene, Monoprene or Dynaflex.
It will also be appreciated that the plate and gasket arrangement that make up the inlet valve means and the outlet valve means can be arranged to have one pump assembly so as to dispense flowable material from a single bottle or container, and through a single dip tube, and this also falls within the scope of the present invention. It will still also be appreciated that the use of plates and gaskets to form the inlet valve means and the outlet valve means is especially well suited for the preparation of dispensing pumps which can dispense flowable material from two or more bottles or containers.